ARGHAKHANCHI, Aug 29: Eleven passengers were killed and six others injured when a jeep veered off the road and fell some 500 meters down the hill at Hansapur-5, Ratanmare of Arghakhanchi district on Sunday.
The ill-fated jeep with registration number Lu 1 Ja 4878 heading toward Bandikot of Pyuthan district from Sandhikharka, the district headquarters, met with the accident at around 3 pm in the afternoon, the District Police Office (DPO), Arghakhanchi said.
According to the DPO, nine passengers were killed on the spot and two others died in course of treatment at the district hospital.
Narayan Rana and Sita Nepali of Sandhikharka; Buddhiram Pariyar and Bhesh Bahadur Thapa of Gulmi; Sobha Singh Roka Magar of Pyuthan; Ram Bahadur Gharti, Min Bahadur KC, Chet Bahadur Thapa and Hom Bahadur Gharti of Hansapur died on the spot.
Kamala Poudel of Dharapani Arghakhanchi and Shiva Bahadur Kunwar of Phurkot Gulmi died while receiving treatment at the district hospital. Police said that 17 people were travelling in the ill-fated jeep. All the injured passengers were rushed to the district hospital at Sandhikharka after the incident.
Injured Mina Poudel, Kabita Poudel, Jib Lal Pokhrel, Yam Kunwar, Arjun Nepali and Suraj Khanal are undergoing treatment at the district hospital. Among the six injured passengers, three are said to be in critical condition.
Three die, six injured in Arghakhanchi jeep accident
The police have arrested the driver of the vehicle. The driver during interrogation claimed that the main reason for the accident was a tire puncture followed by break failure.
The accident site is about 30 kilometers away from the district headquarters.
Driver ignored warnings about vehicle’s condition
(Keshab bahadur GC, survivor)
Just as the vehicle was about to leave Sandhikharka, an elderly person had tried to convince the driver that the vehicle was producing unusual sound, hinting at the vehicle’s bad condition.
The driver did not take his suggestion positively and scolded the old man. “It is our vehicle and we are the ones who are always aware of its condition,” the driver told that old man.
But the old man’s warning turned out to be prescient after the vehicle reached Ranatmare.
As soon as he noticed the problem in the vehicle, the driver, instead of controlling the steering, jumped off the vehicle.
As I was seated next to a window, I, too, jumped off the vehicle. I was able to pull out two children.
Their mother was screaming and asking me to save her. But I could not pull her out from the vehicle and she died.
It was a horrible experience for me as I saw people travelling with me just us a few seconds ago die in front of my eyes.
Sadly, the old man who had asked the driver to check the condition of the vehicle also died in the incident.
